Originally posted by Tania This report could be translated to any magazine:

Having a wedding - won't be perfect unless you go by the bridal magazines.

Want to get into bodybuilding - your body won't be perfect unless you follow the bodybuilding magazine diet/exercise plan...

Renovating your house - won't be perfect unless you follow the home magazines....

but can you really draw a comparison to the damage done between perfection-pressure from a magazine in these highly specific catagories when "seventeen" is literally telling girls how to be girls in an all-encompasing manner?

Very true sally, but even when you're older reason doesn't always triumph over emotion, insecurity, and past hurts/words that can come back to haunt you. Sometimes it's like a tape that replays in your head that you can't shut off.

I feel sympathy for those young girls-when I was that age, there was far less pressure about looks. Seventeen Magazine was different when I was reading it, but I got bored w/ it as an older teenager and started reading magazines like Ms

Originally posted by MrsSpringsteen Very true sally, but even when you're older reason doesn't always triumph over emotion, insecurity, and past hurts/words that can come back to haunt you. Sometimes it's like a tape that replays in your head that you can't shut off.

I feel sympathy for those young girls-when I was that age, there was far less pressure about looks. Seventeen Magazine was different when I was reading it, but I got bored w/ it as an older teenager and started reading magazines like Ms

I know MrsS - I do understand a lot more than I let on. I think that with certain things, there's always that frightened child trying to escape. Not much more I can say on that subject without it turning into a childhood confessional, which ain't a good idea.

The majority of these mags suck shit from a dead cow's arse. That's rule number 1: when in doubt, use a gross image.

I remember learning to play guitar when I was much younger... all the magazines were telling me how I should be dressing as "a rock chick". I was more interested in learning to play than being a groupie, but there you go.

i think if a girl is raised to be smart and have a mind of her own, a few teen magazines won't hurt anything. my daughter is twelve this year, sees her father maybe twice a year, plays clarinet in the school band, is a cheerleader for junior basketball, head of the camera club at school, volunteers at the local library, plays the keyboard and electric guitar, started a rock band with her friends, and frequently flips through a teen mag or two.

bonosgirl makes a good point...
i think the biggest influence is the parents
you can guide your daughters - if they look at the mags...which i tottally agree are out of control- you can look at them together...and its a great opputunity to ask /answer questions
about the topics...
and encourage them to be themselves.

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Quote:

Originally posted by sallycinnamon78 Young girls of 5/6/7 don't have that insight.

I think they can, so long as their parents teach them that they can decide things for themselves and raise them with good self-esteem. As bonosgirl84 pointed out, blaming outside sources doesn't solve the problem. I read Seventeen, along with pretty much every teen-related magazine throughout my life, and yet I haven't decided that I needed to follow what the magazine said in order to be a perfect girl or something like that. If those magazines are supposedly so influential, how come I didn't buy into their message?

As I've said before, the magazines are just putting out their own ideas of what is good for people to have good lives. It is still up to us individually to decide whether or not we want to agree with the message they're sending. The magazines never forced anyone to change themselves.

What the hell is that supposed to mean? If a 12 year old girl shows an interest in playing music, ANY type of music, it should be encouraged. It wouldn't matter if she wanted to start an all girl polka band if thats what she loves.

I think they can, so long as their parents teach them that they can decide things for themselves and raise them with good self-esteem. As bonosgirl84 pointed out, blaming outside sources doesn't solve the problem. I read Seventeen, along with pretty much every teen-related magazine throughout my life, and yet I haven't decided that I needed to follow what the magazine said in order to be a perfect girl or something like that. If those magazines are supposedly so influential, how come I didn't buy into their message?

As I've said before, the magazines are just putting out their own ideas of what is good for people to have good lives. It is still up to us individually to decide whether or not we want to agree with the message they're sending. The magazines never forced anyone to change themselves.

Angela

I do agree with you on that - maybe I didn't express my point very clearly. I'm not blaming all society's ills on the magazines - that would be stupid. If anything I find that they represent what is wrong with society in general... just a thought.

Yeah, I stopped playing that game in high school, trying to fit in by being trendy and into what every else was in to, basing myself on what some magazine dictates how I should dress, said f...orget it, and did my own thing. In junior high, sure I tried to emulate some of the teen magazines, but as I got older, I stopped wearing makeup, started dressing, "frumpy" as my sister calls it.

Granted, I was a bit of loner anyway, but doing that didn't help with the fellas in school or college for that matter, so I figured, if I can find a guy who can accept me as I am, no fancy clothes, just me plain and simple, that's the one for me. If not, oh well, guess it is all about looks, fashion, and little esle.

Well my mother would tell me I was pretty all the time, but I guess I felt she wasn't as objective as say, a complete stanger would be. I would say the magazines did have a negative effect on me, even if my family would encourage me.

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Quote:

Originally posted by sallycinnamon78 I do agree with you on that - maybe I didn't express my point very clearly. I'm not blaming all society's ills on the magazines - that would be stupid. If anything I find that they represent what is wrong with society in general... just a thought.

It's okay-that makes sense. Sorry if it seemed like I was jumping on you or something .